VANCOUVER ISLAND WINDTALK

Last week I was on the westcoast for my wedding and went surfing for the first time since my shoulder got surgery, I've now gone a few times on the Big Island as well. Somewhere between the last time I went surfing, surgery, and now, I started windsurfing (in part due to said shoulder injury preventing paddling), obviously got a lot better at windsurfing, went wavesailing to Maui once for SUP (skunked for wind) and once with wind and then the Oregon coast for a week of wind. I was by no means an expert before my shoulder made it impossible to surf, but I also didn't suck.

Is it just me or does surfing now just suck? Do people still do this sport after wavesailing? Sitting out on south chesterman waiting for a wave it felt more like fishing than surfing, then paddling back out after a wave it was just such a pain in the ass. Here on Hawaii, the sitting in the water just gets me freaked out about sharks. This all compared to blasting out powered up, jumping around, then surfing back in, dodging and outrunning sharks, it really just seems so mundane in contrast. SUP-ing really seems to be the nail in the coffin for me. While it still isn't my first choice, the challenge of balancing, and the ability to paddle out much quicker, catch up to waves, and surf lousy stuff, just makes it so versatile.

So those of you who still conventionally surf, what is your secret? How do you still love this sport? Is there hope for me? Because right now, I'd rather just go boogie boarding! There I said it!

simple, you have no soul

I understand the silence, be one with the ocean, zen part and I like it....I just can't DO it On top, I'm a horrendous surfer if i can even call myself one but one day on Maui....

just west of Ukumehame, mile 14spot? the pickup truck full of coolers, kids and surfboards pulls up to the beach.
The kids pile out and over a period of 2-3 hrs surf, boogie board, splash and chase, scream away, racing each other on the waves. Parents sit and watch from their lawnchairs. I figure some locals, just sittin' there....
All of a sudden the kids all come to the beach, towel off, sit and eat a snack. I figure this is when the beers and dinner come out.....What i saw next was very cool: the parents both grabbed their boards and paddled out. The kids watched for over an hour, sitting still....and i mean they did nothing but remain in a group by the truck watching...no throwing frisbee, beating on each other, none of that.
The parents talked while sitting on the boards waiting for a set. He was a slightly better surfer but not amazing, the kids were probably better. She was doing well keeping up. Both rode waves together, on the same wave often, paddled back out, chatted, sat, looked at the whales going by only a few hundred off shore, facing each other and talked some more, caught another wave.
After a long while, kids still sitting still watching, the parents came in and everyone had dinner together. The sun set. It was amazing in so many ways, maybe I'm just too sentimental. Wish that was me Maybe it can be you, Tony You got another week there...

nanmoo wrote: So those of you who still conventionally surf, what is your secret? How do you still love this sport? Is there hope for me? Because right now, I'd rather just go boogie boarding! There I said it!

I'm just learning how to surf a SUP & longboard.

I'm motivated because it's:

- way better exercise than kiteboarding particularly for my arms
- good wave conditions are easy to predict and reliable
- when there is no wind and a good swell it's nice to have an option
- it's nice to be gear light....just grabbing a board and jumping in the water is a nice change
- surfing is nice and relaxing
- I feel safer surfing so I'm less occupied mentally with details I think about when kiting
- I want to get good at surfing before I get serious about taking my kite into the waves
- I can take a friend along and give them a $200 used surfboard and we are having fun without a lot of $$$, gear or lessons

That last point is key. I have a number of friends who will never have the $$$, time and interest to become kiteboarders, but they will happily jump into the water with a surfboard. I can afford to give them a used board and I can give them enough info to have fun and be safe in small waves.

If I had to give up one I'd give up surfing, but so far this winter I've had more luck checking the surf forecast and organizing my schedule to hit the waves than I have had trying to catch a windy day with my kite.

I'm new to the area, but it seems like I'll be kiting all summer and surfing all winter.

Awesome post kus ... Thanks for sharing ... Picked up a 9'2" used 'longboard' , looking forward to trying it out on some small waves ...

Good point on the cost thing... though after already purchasing expensive wind equipment it is somewhat of a moot point.

The most thoughtful response so far was clearly Dave's though. Thanks for calling me out on that.

Going boogie boarding!

Ya your right Nanmoo, surfing does suck. Ya spent most of your time paddling or getting caught inside by set waves . When ya get a ride it lasts maybe 10 seconds. When you go to a new spot the locals get all the set waves leaving leftovers if your lucky and not sitting inside getting caught by same set waves.

Getting skunked on lame surf forecasts is another reason surfing sucks.
Probably get skunked as often or more often than windsurfing/kiting.

My advice is if you don't surf don't start. If you do surf surf give it up and tell all your friends it sucks.

That sucked

rocdoc wrote:My advice is if you don't surf don't start. If you do surf surf give it up and tell all your friends it sucks.

***gestures with hand*** "These are not the waves you are looking for..."...